Government
Wilson Elser’s Albany Office to Focus on Business Litigation, Government Affairs
News
Wilson Elser announced that its Albany office, formerly known for its lobbying/government relations practice, will refocus its business on the firm’s core services – commercial and civil litigation and corporate transactions.
Obama Nominates Possible First Muslim-American Judge to Federal Court
News
NBC News reports that, while Muslim Americans have filled roles as state judges, none have served at the federal trial or appellate levels, according to Muslim Advocates, a national legal advocacy organization.
Theranos Walks Away From Zika Test
News
The move is another setback for the Palo Alto, Calif., company as it tries to recover from crippling regulatory sanctions that followed revelations by The Wall Street Journal of shortcomings in Theranos’s technology and operations.
School Bathroom Transgender Ruling Sets Up Lengthy Legal Battle
News
The differentiation between ‘biological’ and ‘identity’ will likely be interpreted differently by other courts, which will ultimately require an opinion of the Supreme Court to resolve.
Law Profs Issue Takedown of Decision Striking Fracking Rule
News
The 36 professors take issue with the lower court’s interpretation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, writes E&E Publishing reporter Ellen M. Gilmer.
Why Republicans Are Against Obama Privatizing Internet Governance
News
Some Republicans complain that transferring the government’s domain naming process to ICANN gives Verisign exclusive authority to name its own price for domain name registrations, reports Fortune.
Webinar: What’s Next for FLSA Compliance: Proven Strategies to Minimize Risk
Event, August 25, 2 p.m. EDT
HR Daily Advisor will present a complimentary webinar discussing what the overtime changes mandated by the U.S. Department of Labor FLSA mean for employers and recommend strategies for meeting these new challenges.
Largest HIPAA Settlement Ever: What You Need to Know
Insight
The operator of 12 hospitals and more than 200 other treatment centers in Chicago and central Illinois has agreed to the largest settlement to date with the Office for Civil Rights for multiple potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, reports Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick.
Administrative-Law Rulings Heighten Significance of Next Supreme Court Appointment
Insight
Critics of judicial deference in administrative law had hoped that the court might grant certiorari in cases that would allow them plot a new course, but the death of Justice Antonin Scalia caused those hopes to dim, writes Richard O. Faulk of Alexander Dubose Jefferson & Townsend LLP.
U.S. Consumer Agency Seeks to Overhaul Debt Collection Industry
News
The U.S. watchdog for consumer finances unveiled on Thursday a proposal to toughen regulation of the multibillion-dollar debt collection industry, with a focus on keeping agencies from pushing people to pay debts they do not owe, informing borrowers of their rights and cutting down on calls to debtors, according to a Reuters report.
Disruptor Meets Regulator, and Regulator Wins: Lessons Learned from Theranos
Insight
Even in an environment that encourages innovation, health care organizations must understand the scope of regulatory oversight at the federal and state levels, and the range of remedies available to regulators for noncompliance, writes writes Robert E. Wanerman of Epstein Becker & Green.
On-Demand: Benchmarking Your FCPA Compliance Program
On-Demand
The webinar is the third of the year in Bryan Cave’s anti-corruption series. The topic will be of interest to in-house counsel and compliance professionals of companies that conduct business outside the United States.
Ex-Johnson & Johnson Unit Execs Guilty of Misdemeanors, Avoid Felony Convictions
News
The jury acquitted the two defendants on felony charges of wire fraud and conspiracy, finding they did not act with intent to defraud or mislead. But the two former executives were convicted on charges of promoting a product for an unapproved use, Reuters reports.
U.S. Sues to Block Anthem-Cigna and Aetna-Humana Mergers
News
U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said the proposed mergers “would leave much of the multitrillion-dollar health insurance industry in the hands of three mammoth insurance companies,” reports The New York Times.
Preventing Discrimination Claims: Who is Protected and How to Maintain Compliance
Event, August 31, 1 p.m. EDT
Littler Mendelson will present a webinar about maintaining compliance under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act as it concerns protection of employees, both legal and illegal immigrants.
Christie Auditions for AG by Putting Clinton on Mock Trial
News
The New Jersey governor relied on his experience as a former U.S. attorney “to present a case on the facts against Hillary Rodham Clinton,” courtroom-style, encouraging the captivated crowd to act as a “jury of her peers,” reports The New York Daily News.
Criminal Probe Casts 2009 Ackman-Target Boardroom Brawl in New Light
News
The same tactics cited in the criminal complaint were used to help Target defeat hedge fund activist Bill Ackman in 2009, according to a former Georgeson employee turned whistleblower, reports Reuters.
Civil Fines Jump Across Agencies Under Inflation Adjustment Act
Insight
The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 takes effect on August 1, 2016, when agencies will begin applying the new penalty levels to any penalties assessed on and after that date, according to Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.
BP Fined $20 Million for Rigging U.S. Natural Gas Markets
News
BP Plc faces more than $20 million in penalties and surrendered profits after a U.S. regulator found that the energy giant manipulated commodity markets in Texas, according to a report by Bloomberg and published by The Business Times.
Theranos CEO Holmes Banned From Operating a Lab for 2 Years
News
Theranos Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Holmes was banned for two years from owning or operating laboratories by U.S. regulators, a major blow against the controversial blood-testing startup that’s come under scrutiny for risking patient harm with unreliable tests, reports Doni Bloomfield for Bloomberg Technology.
